Blue Devil Athlete Spotlight: Ava McDonald (Girls' Basketball)

Junior Ava McDonald is a key contributor on the Blue Devil girls’ basketball team.  The lifelong Leominster resident, who also plays for Blaze AAU, started playing basketball in the first grade when her mom, a former high school basketball player herself, introduced Ava to the sport.  

“I like the competitiveness of the game and how it moves,” Ava said.  “I like the bond of the team and how we communicate and we’re there for our teammates if needed.” 

Ava has also enjoyed playing for Blue Devil coach Rusty Frederick, who Ava credits with helping improve her game.    

“One important thing I’ve learned from my coach is becoming more confident on the court and learning to use my height to my advantage,” Ava said.

Frederick said Ava is always striving to improve.  

“I've coached Ava over the last three seasons,” Frederick said.  “In her first two seasons, she has won most improved player by working hard everyday in practice.  This season she is one of our leaders and captains.  She is the type of leader who leads by example on the basketball court.  She is very excited by getting back in the classroom soon.”

Ava hopes to one day play basketball in college, and has aspirations of earning a scholarship to do so.  She also plans on earning a law degree, sparked by a class she is currently taking at LHS.

“My favorite class has been Street Law which I took this year and my favorite teacher has been Ms.Grimes,” Ava said.

Ava also enjoys watching crime documentaries and listening to crime podcasts.  She also runs track and cross country at LHS. 

 

Blue Devil Athlete Spotlight: The Cordio-Grutchfield Connection (Boys' Basketball)

 

For over 50 years, New England Basketball Hall of Famer John Cordio has done it the right way, giving his all to help the teams he has coached be as successful as possible.  And for many of those years, he’s been alongside a Grutchfield - first the legendary late Doug Grutchfield and the powerful Red Raiders teams of the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, and now under Doug’s son Kevin, where Cordio was an instrumental part of the Blue Devils’ deep postseason a year ago.  

Now in his second season with Kevin Grutchfield and the Blue Devils, Cordio said he sees a lot of similarities between Kevin and his father.  

“One of the biggest similarities is the intensity that he has as a coach,” Cordio said of Kevin.  “Coach (Doug) Grutchfield was very intense.  He demanded a lot of you.  He figured if you were out for the sport, you might as well give it your all.  Don’t come in here and go through the motions and that’s the way coach (Kevin) Grutchfield is.  Kevin is very, very, intense and he wants to be a winner like his father.”

Kevin said he was happy to get the opportunity to bring Cordio on board at LHS.  

“He and coach Cordio were very close friends for over 40 years,” Kevin said of the relationship between his father and Cordio.  “Most of those years were when they were coaching Fitchburg High School.  I have known him most of my life and have always had a close relationship to him.  He brings an incredible amount of knowledge and wisdom to our program.”

At Fitchburg High, Doug Grutchfield and Cordio’s teams won 21 league championships and seven district Division One titles.  They reached the state semifinals five times and the state finals twice. The Red Raiders made 28 straight district appearances.  Doug Grutchfield’s combined career wins at Fitchburg High School, Amherst High School and Belmont High School totaled 588, making him one of winningest basketball coaches in Massachusetts high school history.

Now on the other side of the Fitchburg-Leominster rivalry, Cordio goes about his business like he always has.

“I always keep saying to the kids, you can go through the motions and be the best player but you got to give it your all,” Cordio said.  “It’s team-first and then you but if you dedicate and do what you are supposed to do, we will get there.  It’s a team sport and that’s what I love about it.”

Cordio also relishes his vital role as an assistant.

“I have always been an assistant,” Cordio said.  “I love being an assistant coach and I love the game of basketball and I love the kids.  Just getting up every day and seeing the kids and talking to them and trying to teach them one little aspect of the game.  I just love it.  I probably love practice more than I like games.”

Kevin Grutchfield said Cordio is the ideal assistant coach.   

“My dad was very intense and authoritarian,” Grutchfield said.  “Coach Cordio was a perfect complement to Doug.  He was the calming voice of knowledge the kids could go to when my dad was domineering and hard to communicate with.  I'm finding that I have some of the same traits my dad had and John is doing the same things for me as he did with my dad.  John is successful wherever he goes because he works extremely hard and is great with kids.  He has such knowledge of the game and his run of success is unparalleled.” 

Prior to coming to Leominster, Cordio was an assistant under former player Mark Piece at St. Bernard’s for 16 seasons.    

When Pierce stepped down at St. Bernard’s, Cordio jumped at the opportunity to coach at Leominster with Kevin Grutchfield.  Grutchfield said Cordio’s impact has been significant.  

“He really cares about our players and they know it,” Grutchfield said.  “He is passionate and works hard to make us better everyday.  He joined our staff last year and immediately had an impact on practice plans and game planning as well as skill development and scouting.  He along with Coach Justin Dadah love to scout, watch film and work with kids.  He has always done things the right way and always is positive.” 

Cordio said Kevin teaches the game similarly to the way Doug did.

“It’s repetition,” Cordio said.  “I mean we do the same thing every day.  It’s the fundamentals, it’s shooting, it’s setting the pick the same way and it’s execution.  You do the right execution by repetition so if you do the same thing over and over and over, it’s just between you and one individual but if you keep doing it the right way, you’re going to be successful.”  

Kevin Grutchfield played at Worcester Academy and Eastern Connecticut State before starting his coaching career at Norwich where he was an assistant coach from 1997-2000.  In 2000, he took over the Lunenburg girls’ program until 2006 when left to take over as the head coach for the Anna Maria’s women’s basketball team.  Following a two-year stint at Anna Maria, Grutchfield coached the Leominster girls’ basketball team from 2008-2016.  In 2016 Kevin was named the Leominster boys’ basketball coach where the program has flourished of late.  

“I think the recent success we have had has been a combination of our kids buying into the ideas of hard work, dedication and working on your game year round,” Grutchfield said.  “We have really established a program based on summer league and AAU in the summer months as well as establishing a Fall League team that runs in the months leading up to the season.  Our kids really have bought into our system and want to work hard to be the best. It is a matter of taking it one day at a time and doing your best on that day.”

As for assessing his own coaching style, he sees some similarities and differences when comparing his style to his dads.  

“I'm similar to my dad in intensity and overall philosophy of pressure defense and uptempo offense,” Grutchfield said.  “We're different in personality.  He was very outgoing, boisterous and commanded every room he was in.  Although I can be loud on the court, I prefer to be behind the scenes. I'm much more reserved than he was.”

Blue Devil Athlete Spotlight: Girls' Ice Hockey Seniors

 

The Leominster Blue Devils Co-Op girls’ hockey program is fortunate to be led by seven outstanding seniors this season.  Earlier, we featured Leominster High students Caitlin Ruby and Emily Ayles.  Now, we feature the rest of the seniors.  That group includes Alice Mead (West Boylston), Anna Simmons (Ayer-Shirley), Kaitlyn Bremer (Ayer-Shirley), Alanna Hoag (Clinton) and Hannah Erickson (Groton-Dunstable).

Second year captain Alice Mead is the daughter of St. John’s Athletic Director and Varsity ice hockey coach Michael Mead.  Alice was introduced to the game by her dad and started playing on a team coached by her dad when she was in third grade. 

Blue Devil coach Nancy LeBlanc said Mead is a true difference-maker.  

“Alice has been a strong defenseman for us and has great ability to hold the blue and keep pucks in the offensive zone,” LeBlanc said.

Mead will attend Springfield College next year.  

Fellow defenseman Anna Simmons is also an impact player in the back end for the Blue Devils.   

“Anna is strong at reading the play and rushing and getting the puck out of our zone when needed,” LeBlanc said.

Simmons has been accepted and will attend UMass Amherst next year where she will major in Education.  She is hoping to become a high school English teacher.  

Simmons plays volleyball at Ayer-Shirley and is part of National Honor Society and Student Council.  She has also been involved in music and the Drama Club during her time as a Panther.  

Kaitlyn Bremer’s impact has come on both offense and defense for LHS.  

“Kaitlyn has been one of our most versatile players as she has been asked to play forward as well as defense and played both strong for us,” LeBlanc said.  “Kaitlyn has one of the strongest shots on the team.”

Bremer, who also plays for the Minuteman Lady Flames, started playing the game when she was only three years old and said she likes playing because the sport is really fun.  She plans on studying to become a Special Education teacher in college.  

Bremer said she has enjoyed her high school hockey career.

“We are from so many different schools so we meet lots of new people,” Bremer said.   

Second year captain Alanna Hoag started skating when she was three years old and started playing organized hockey when she was six.

“Alanna provides speed to our team and has worked hard to develop a strong shot,” LeBlanc said.  

Hoag recently committed to play Division 3 hockey for Paul Smith’s College in upstate New York.

“I’m planning on going to Paul Smith’s and majoring in Natural Resource Conservation and Management,” Hoag added.  “My end goal is to become a game warden, they are Environmental Police Officers.”

Hoag also plays field hockey and track and field at Clinton High.  She is a self-proclaimed history nerd who also enjoys hiking and art.   

Center Hannah Erickson is a quality three-zone player for the Blue Devils.  

“Hannah has proven to be one of our strongest centers who can win faceoffs at critical times as well as provide strong support in both the offensive and defensive zone,” LeBlanc said.  

Erikson will attend Worcester State University next year and will play field hockey while studying Nursing.  

Erickson said coach LeBlanc has made a huge impact on the team.

“She has taught us to believe in ourselves no matter the circumstance,” Erickson said.  

Blue Devil Athlete Spotlight: Ryan Flinkstrom (Boys' Ice Hockey)

  Senior captain Ryan Flinkstrom does it all for the Leominster Blue Devils hockey team.  Ryan, who started playing dek hockey when he was three years old, converted to ice hockey when he was eight years old and never looked back.  

“Once I got older, my dad and I watched the Boston Bruins together,” Ryan said.  “Then, I wanted to start to play ice hockey.”

Leominster coach John Mooney said Ryan plays a critical role for the Blue Devils.   

“Ryan leads by example, he skates hard in every drill in practice and every shift in games,” Mooney said.  “He is versatile and can play anywhere in the lineup for us based on what we need.  He is also one of our captains this season and a role model for other players on the team.  He is always one of the first players on the ice every day and one of the last ones off.”

Ryan said he truly enjoys playing the game of ice hockey.

“I enjoy working as a team to win games and I really enjoy skating because it takes more skill than the other sports,” Ryan said.  

Ryan said he also enjoys playing high school hockey here at LHS.  

“We have a good coaching staff,” Ryan said.  “They work hard on and off the ice to make sure the team runs smoothly.  Coach Mooney wants us to do our best and he is there every practice for us and willing to teach and do different drills all the time.”

Ryan said his favorite class at LHS so far has been Precalculus with Mr. Kelly.   

Off the ice, Ryan enjoys playing video games and editing videos for YouTube.

Ryan has narrowed down his college search to three schools and will study Business Management next year.  

 

Blue Devil Alumni Spotlight: Angel Colina (RPI Football)

Photo Courtesy of RPI Athletics

2017 Leominster High School graduate Angel Colina now attends Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY where he is a member of the football team.  Angel, who was once a standout running back, defensive back and senior captain for the Blue Devils, said the decision to attend RPI came down to education.  

“One of the reasons I choose RPI is because it is one of the best Engineering schools in the country,” Angel said.  Angel is majoring in Mechanical Engineering.  Angel also said the football program was also a good fit for him.  RPI won back-to-back Liberty League football titles during Angel’s first two seasons with the Engineers.  

Angel also said the college lifestyle has been treating him well.    

“What I like most about college as compared to high school is that I get to choose what time and day I want to have my classes,” Angel said.  “This allows me to not have classes every single day of the week and having a day off is always nice.”

Despite all the success Angel is having in college, he fondly remembers his days at LHS.  

“My favorite memory from LHS was lunch time,” Angel said.   “It was always a good time to joke around with your friends and not concentrate on school.”

Angel said the most important class he took at LHS was AP Physics 2 with Mr. Noviello.  

“It was the hardest class I had to take but Mr. Noviello made it fun to learn,” Angel said.   “The reason it was so important was because it taught me how to study and prepare for exams.”

As for advice to current LHS students, Angel said to really be thinking about the next steps and what you will enjoy doing down the road.  

“Enjoy this last year to the fullest and to do something that you are passionate about,” Angel said.  “I have seen students choose a career because it makes good money or it has good benefits but the person does not enjoy the actual job itself and they have become miserable because of it.  Choose your happiness before anything else.”

“Appreciate the relationships and bonds you make now with your teachers in high school because they actually do care about you,” Angel added.  

Angel and his RPI team did not get to play football this year due to the pandemic, but Angel plans to return next season for his final season and because his major takes 4.5 years to complete.  Next semester, Angel also plans to apply to graduate school concentrating on either Management or Energy.  Angel also wants to travel as much as possible before entering the workforce.  

Thinking back to his LHS football days, Angel said it gave him the base he needed to be successful at the college level. 

“Playing football at LHS taught me how to have discipline and it also taught me how to be a leader in the locker room,” Angel said.  “These two traits helped me prepare for college football.”

Angel said current high school football players should always be striving to get better.  

“They should be focusing on getting 1% better every single day,” Angel said.  “Once you get to college you start playing with kids who were also the best players on their high school teams so the competition is much harder.  If anyone hopes to play college athletics, they have to be all in with school and sports because college sports is a full time job.”

Blue Devil Athlete Spotlight: Boys' Ice Hockey Community Service Project

Recently, the Leominster boys’ ice hockey team took part in a community service project with Our Father’s House in Fitchburg.  The “Warm Bag” Drive was an effort by the team to collect hats, mittens, gloves, socks, blankets and scarves for the purpose of donating those items to Our Father’s House.  

The team was made aware of a great need in the homeless population in the Twin City area for such items thanks to Booster Club Member Christina Moyen, who introduced the Blue Devils to this special opportunity and helped the team make the connections to coordinate the effort.  

“We are proud and grateful to have such an incredible group of players, coaches, and families who embraced our recent community service project with Our Father's House in Fitchburg as part of our commitment to community service every season,” Booster Club member Patti D’Amicis said.  

Shortly before the holidays, each player was asked to collect donations and put together "Warm Bags" that would include hat, mittens, gloves, blanket, scarf, and socks.  These items were then given to and distributed by OFH Outreach Director Kevin McClean directly to those in need.

“The Leominster hockey donation for the homeless and less fortunate will change lives,” McClean said.  “A warm hat, gloves and maybe an extra blanket offer security hard to come by when you don't have a home.  It's donations like this, and the young people behind it, that make the world a better place.”

“I believe it is important to be involved in the community whenever we can as a program,” Leominster hockey coach Frank Mooney said.  “We are very fortunate to be able to play hockey in times like this, so it is nice to give back to people who are not as fortunate as we are.  I hope that by doing service projects like this one, our players can realize how important it is to serve our community.”

When the players met Mr. McClean in the parking lot of the Civic Center prior to a practice where he collected the donations,  McClean took the time to have a meaningful and relatable conversation with the boys about homelessness in our community and the value of their donations. 

“Not only did we exceed expectations in participation and donations; more importantly (our team) opened their minds and hearts to giving to our community and raising awareness,” DeAmicis said.  

“I have always felt strongly about the value of service and giving back to your community through involvement as well as donations,” DeAmicis said.  “Last year we were fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Kylee's Kare Kits packing food bags for over 500 children both in and beyond our community.  To participate in service and volunteering time as a team, or rather together as a hockey family, provides experiences I am hopeful these young men will carry with them well beyond their high school hockey years.”  

Blue Devil Athlete Spotlight: Justin Dadah Jr. (Boys' Basketball)

The Leominster boys’ basketball team had a fantastic season a year ago.  The Blue Devils posted a 17-5

record and made it to the Central Mass. Division 1 semifinals, where they led St. John’s for most of the

game before eventually falling to the eventual district champions.  

A big part of that great season were the contributions of then-freshman Justin Dadah Jr.  

“Justin is a great kid,” Blue Devil coach Kevin Grutchfield said.  “He had a great freshman year for us.  He started every game and was instrumental in getting our team to the district semifinals.”

Grutchfield said those contributions didn’t come without a lot of work beforehand.   

“Justin comes from a great family and really leads by example,” Grutchfield said.  “He is a kid who has an incredible work ethic.  He is constantly getting up shots and is always looking for ways to improve his game.  He is one of the better players in our area and we expect big things from him this year.”

Justin said he’s learned a lot in his short time with coach Grutchfield so far.  

“I have learned a lot from coach Grutchfield,” Justin said.  “Most importantly, I learned that dedication, hard work and being a good teammate will lead to our teams’ success.”

Justin started playing basketball when he was five when his dad, Justin Dadah Sr., who is an assistant under Grutchfield, started taking Justin Jr. to games.

“That’s when I started liking the game,” Justin said.  

Justin said he loves the sport of basketball for a variety of reasons.

“I like the competitiveness of the game and  how fast paced it is,” Justin said.  “I love the atmosphere with the fans.  For example, our Shrewsbury playoff game last year.”

The Blue Devils beat the Colonials, 72-60 in the Central Mass. Division 1 quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals against the Pioneers.  Dadah chipped in with 10 points in the home victory over Shrewsbury.  

Justin, who also plays AAU basketball with the Middlesex Magic, said he loves being part of the LHS basketball family.

“I like building relationships with my teammates and love the support we get from the school,” Justin said.

In school, Justin said his favorite teacher so far was Mr. Barnaby, who is also the boys’ JV-2 basketball coach for the Blue Devils.  Justin took U.S History I with Mr. Barnaby last year.  

When he’s not in school, Justin enjoys working out and hanging with friends.

Justin also hopes to attend and play in college one day, but with a lot of high school basketball still in front him, the future of Blue Devil basketball is quite bright.